CarJack : Getting There
by carjack4ever
Summary: A story about Jack and Carly Snyder, and their family about a year after the wedding.  Their daughter, Sage, has become a target of some of Oakdale's new faces, and is in great danger. Can Jack and Carly save her?
1. Chapter 1

CarJack: Getting There

Growing Up

~Carjack4ever~

The year had passed so quickly and brought such joy to the entire Snyder family. It seemed only yesterday that Jack and Carly stood at the altar sharing there vows; declaring that they would love one another until the end of time.

And they always had. No matter how many times they got lost along the way, Jack and Carly would always find their way back to each other. After all that they had been through, that love that they share only got stronger and stronger. Nothing would ever tear them apart again. When life challenges them, they would embrace it together.

It was a quarter after twelve and nearly everyone was asleep.

There stood Jack Snyder, home from a long night of work. A night that didn't seem to phase him at the least. He looked down at his newborn child sleeping, ever so peacefully. And it never failed to make him smile, as he stared in amazement. The fact that this beautiful child was his own was such a gift, one that he would never take for granted.

As Jack had done his best to stay quiet, he could hear footsteps behind him coming toward the nursery where he stood in awe. And at that, in came his one and only daughter. Her hair was a mess, and she walked in very slowly, almost sleepwalking. And even in such a state, Sage carried such beauty.

"For a minute I thought you were your mother, honey. Your growing up so fast.." he said as he stared into his daughter's eyes, then quickly remembered the time, "I'm sorry sweetie, did I wake you?"

"No, you didn't wake me daddy. I just couldn't sleep, and I heard you come in."

"Aw, did you have a bad dream? Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" he asked with a looked of concern.

She smiled at him, then put her arms around his neck. She was still half asleep, but the part of her that remained awake loved the feeling of her father's strong yet gentle arms. And she loved that even as she began her teen years, she was still his little girl. No matter what happened, she always felt safe with her dad.

He picked her up and took one final look at the baby boy before slowly shutting the door, and carrying his daughter to her room. He set her down gently in bed, and held her close to him. Before long she was fast asleep, her head against his chest. And he stared in adoration. She reminded him so much of Carly, and she was so beautiful.

He loved it, but at the same time it scared him. It scared him to death. He wanted to protect his little girl from all the bad in the world, as he always had. But now she was growing up.

It seemed like just yesterday that Sage was the size of his newborn, and he had just found out he was her daddy. He remembered that moment. He promised his young daughter that whenever she fell, he would be there to catch her. And that if there was somewhere she wanted to go and see, he would do his best to take her there. And he had never broken that promise.

That was one of the happiest days of his life. He remembered it so well, as he looked down at his little girl. And a tear began to run down his cheek. "I love you so much, baby.." he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

With intent to stay only a few moments longer he rested his head next to hers, and soon enough he was out like a light. 

"Jack. Jack..?" called Carly to her husband before bumping into Sage in the hallway.

"Mom, shh. Dad's still asleep in my room, he was up kind of late at night.."

Carly gazed down at her daughter, and teased her with her eyes.

"Oh really, and what were you doing up with your father so late, missy?" she asked.

Before she was given the chance to answer, a very awake Jack tiptoed out of the room and snuck up on his daughter. Pulling her into his arms playfully, he answered for her.

"You know me honey, I wouldn't be able to sleep with out peeking in on our Brad. And I didn't realize it was so late, I really should have been quieter."

She smiled widely at the sight of the two of them, before stepping closer to give her daughter a quick tickle.

"Mhm, I'm sure," she remarked, knowing all too well what had happened. Mainly because it happened a lot. And she didn't mind a bit, because she truly loved how close they were. However, what she didn't let on was that she was a bit envious of her husband.

Mother/daughter bickering was starting to happen more and more with Sage getting older and wanting to try new things. Part of the problem was that they were too much alike. Sage had inherited her mothers stubborn streak, and its starting to show more and more.

Carly looked up at Jack. She looked into his eyes then passionately kissed him, as her daughter stared up at the two of them and smiled. Oh, that never got old.

When they pulled apart, she first kissed her father on the cheek and told him she loved him. Next she gave her mother a kiss and hug, seeming as if she knew what was on her mind. But after a moment Carly knew there was something wrong, that it was something else. Her daughter just wasn't herself today.

"I'm going to check on Brad." said Jack, sensing that the two needed to talk alone.

Once he had gotten up, Sage pulled away from her mother's embrace to look into her eyes. She looked shaken up.

"Baby, whats wrong?" she asked.

"Mom.. I have to tell you something. But first you have to promise you won't hate me. Please mom, just promise me"

"Oh sweetheart, I could never hate you. Ever. I love you more anything, you know that. Now come on honey, tell me what happened."

"Ok…"


	2. Chapter 2

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.2

~CarJack4ever

"Mom?" Parker called from the top of the stairs, before coming down and stopping ahead of the table where his mother sat close to his younger sister, stroking her hair. It was obvious that something was wrong.

"Oh um.. never mind, its not important." he said while looking cautiously over Sage.

At that Sage pulled herself together and whirled around to face her brother.

"No Parker, I'm fine. You can talk to mom now." she said looking almost relieved much to Carly's confusion.

Somewhere inside of Sage was a secret, one that she was not ready to reveal. There was too much at stake now. With her family as close to perfect as it could be, she did not want to be the one to throw it off balance. She didn't want to cause her parents more stress, and more than anything would never want them to be disappointed in her.

"Sage, are you sure? Because if your upset, I want you to talk to me. Honey.."

"Oh Mom, don't worry everything's fine. I think I just need some air." she said while grabbing her jacket ready to head out the door. "I'll be back soon ok?"

Still sensing that something was very wrong, Carly was reluctant to let her go. But Sage agreed to talk to her later, and tell her what it was she intended to tell her earlier, no excuses.

Sage then left without looking back. With so much on her mind, she was not thinking about where it was she would go or why. She only knew that she had to get away to think, because she had no idea what to do. And no idea how she could look her mother in the eyes and tell her what was going on, and of all her fears.

As thoughts fluttered through her mind, she walked faster and faster, getting farther and farther from home. And as she turned the corner, there he was. A man from her nightmares.

Meanwhile, in Milltown, Carly sits on the couch in worry. After a discussion about an upcoming photo shoot for her new line, Parker had dismissed himself to see his girlfriend, Faith. And now she was alone and filled with worry.

It was utterly obvious that Sage was troubled by something, something very big. And it made everything else seem unimportant. What could possibly be so bad that she would be afraid to talk to her mother?

She rested her head in her hands, trying to understand why this felt so wrong. The next instant concluding that there was no use in waiting. She would call her daughter now, and wherever she was she would go there and get her. She just had to know that she was alright. And she had to be.

Carly picked up the phone next to her and dialed Sage's number, so scared without even understanding why, and looked up to say a silent prayer. She had to be alright, she just had to be.

"What do you want from me?" Sage yelled at the man.

When he didn't respond, she yelled once more. And he still did not respond.

She slowly backed away, scared and unsure of what her next move would be. But before she could get away, he grabbed her arm. And it began to lightly rain. She felt a few rain drops fall onto her seemingly paralyzed arm as she tried to yank it away.

He was just so strong, and she was in shock. She looked around her seeing how desolate the area was. That's why she at first did not scream. So as the rain continued to pour and the man just stood, keeping tight grip on her arm, she stayed calm.

A moment later she could feel her cell phone vibrating in her pocket, and she quickly grabbed it and accepted it with her opened arm.

"Mom! Mom! Help I'm-" she tried to scream, then feeling the man's hand cover her mouth. Still she screamed in the hopes of someone hearing cries through the downpour, aggravating the man.

He caught glimpse of the phone and snatched it, still holding onto Sage to the tightest of his ability.

"Hello , do you remember me?" he asked somewhat teasingly.

"Who the hell is this? You let my daughter go right now or-"

"Or what mam', you'll send your cop husband after me?" he responded, then feeling a hard bite on his hand, followed by a sudden jab in his leg. Several kicks and shoves later, Sage managed to squirm out of his tight grip and to run faster than she had ever had to run in her life.

She could hear him cursing in the background, and could sense him following close behind. She continued to run, even when it became harder and harder to breathe. All she had to do was make it home and she would be okay. There was no way anyone would get past her mom and dad.

Oh but that was the problem.

Sage thought back to a few days prior, when the man had made his first appearance. More of a public appearance, yes. But he was very clear in spelling out that first threat out to her. He made it very clear that if she did not comply with his wishes, her parents would end up hurt.

It crossed her mind that maybe he was bluffing. But then again, she did not want to test it. Her parents meant too much to do anything of the such. ..What were a few silly designs worth anyways? If it would keep that friend of "Winston Lowe's" , a name that meant nothing to her, from harming Jack and Carly then it would have been worth it.

The question now was, what else did he want from her? She had given him what he wanted, or so she thought. And by choosing to protect her family, she also chose to betray her mother. It was killing her inside,. She felt so sick, and now began to feel she made the wrong decision.

Suddenly remembering where she was and what she was doing, she looked back and seen no sign of him. Still running, she turned, then looked back once more. And with the next look she found herself tripping over a crack in the pavement and just barely catching her self before her face hit the ground.

She looked up fearfully, about to force herself to keep going when she noticed her parents pulling up along side of her.

Jack and Carly rushed out calling to her, lifting her from the ground and pulling her into an embrace. They huddled together so closely, so relieved to have found their little girl safe and out of harms way.

"Thank God your alright, baby. We were so scared." Carly cried.

Sage grabbed onto them both so tightly and began to uncontrollably cry.

"Oh pumpkin, its okay now. We've got you. Nobody is ever going to take you from us, ever." Jack said, then kissing the top of his daughter's head. "Its ok babe, your ok. Nobody's going to hurt you."

"But its all my fault daddy, everything!" she cried into his arms.

"What?" he asked, shocked at what his daughter had just said.

"How on earth could this be your fault?" Carly added, kissing her cheek.

At that point, all she could do was cry. She couldn't seem to bring any words out of her. Just tears.

"Lets go home." said Jack as he picked up his sobbing daughter and carried her to the car.

If only they knew, is all she kept thinking.


	3. Chapter 3

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.3

~CarJack4ever

After a seemingly endless night, Jack and Carly had finally been able to settle into bed upstairs. Lying in each others arms, it was very quiet. Yet it was intense. A mixture of worry, relief, and curiosity filled Carly's eyes. While Jack lay baffled, not quite understanding why or how the series of events took place so quickly.

He was both a cop and a father, and at the moment felt he was failing at both. He couldn't understand what was going on with his child, and he could not piece together a case so close to him. If Sage had told Carly beforehand that she had something to tell her, that must mean that she knew something. But then again why would she walk right into a trap? Why couldn't she talk to him? And the question that really hit home, what kind of father was he not to see she was in some sort of trouble?

"Jack, stop it." Carly ordered, turning his face toward to recognize that familiar look in her eyes. "I know what your thinking. I know that somehow that g-man logic of yours has you thinking you should have this all figured out by now, but there's no way you possibly could. Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Jack.. If anything this is my fault. There was something wrong, and I could feel it. And instead of making her talk to me, I let her go. What kind of mother does that?"

"Carly! Now you need to stop!" he shot, offended by the thought. "Carly, you did nothing wrong. You're an amazing mother. I just don't understand why she hadn't come to either of us.. Why she still won't talk. Baby, yesterday when she said she-"

"Yes Jack, for the hundredth time I'm positive she didn't say _anything _other than that she needed to tell me something. And she was scared I was going to be mad at her, but I made it clear that I love her no matter what and she can tell me anything.. Well at least I thought I did. Jack.. What are you thinking?"

Jack gazed into her lovely blue eyes, the same blue eyes that he had fallen in love with all those years ago. The blue eyes that had seen him through the good and the bad. The beautiful eyes that had gotten him through it all, and made everything worthwhile.

"I'm thinking.." he added while looking into her eyes lovingly, then leaning in to press his lips against hers, and slowly pulling back. Fighting the natural pull between them, wanting to stay as close to her as physically possible for eternities, "I'm thinking.. That you, beautiful, are way too hard on yourself."

He pulled her closer and grinned widely at her, and she looked back sneaking a little smile.

She couldn't help but fear for her daughter. Carly drifted away in thought, to remember all of the times she had hidden something from Jack. Thinking that she was doing what was best for him, covering something that would only hurt him if he were to know, or just protecting him. Then in the end, she would get herself into deep trouble.

Something then started to click.. Was this what her daughter was doing? Was she hiding things from Jack and Carly to protect them?

"Carly? Honey, you ok?" Jack asked, gently stroking her chin. "I know your worried. But she's going to be fine. First thing tomorrow morning, we're going to talk to her. About everything. And we'll get to the bottom of this. Okay?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked up at her husband. She smiled and nodded, then kissed him. And suddenly felt so safe. All of the bad thoughts and fears running through her mind disappeared for a few single moments.

However, it wasn't long before they would come flooding back.

"Did you hear that?.." Jack asked, concerned.

Carly stopped to listen, to hear what it is that he thought he had heard. Moments later a piercing scream filled the house.

Jack jumped out of bed and ran through the hall and into Sage's room, only to find her tossing and turning in her bed. Panicked, and screaming for help, and for her mom and dad.

He grabbed her and began to shout her name, over and over, just desperately trying to awaken her from her restless slumber. From her painful nightmare that must have felt so real to her. It seemed nearly impossible to get her to awaken.

In one short blink of an eye, it all came to an abrupt stop. She had stopped fighting her father's attempt to cradle her in his arm's, and stopped rejecting her mother's call. She looked around, remembering only that terrible dream. A dream not of something happening to herself, but to her family.

Realizing how out of hand she had gotten she looked afraid. Afraid of herself, and what she was capable doing. It hadn't even been until her arms and legs started to shake that she abruptly grabbed onto her dad, as if she was holding onto him for dear life she would not let go.

"Honey, its ok. We're all ok, it was just a dream, Sage." he said quickly, as if the faster he got the words out of him the faster her pain would go away. And she wouldn't be scared.

He returned her hug just as tightly as she had clung on to him, if not tighter. For he was still afraid, not knowing. He hated not knowing, because without knowing what he was dealing with how could he protect her?

"Sage, sweetie. What you were dreaming about? Were you thinking about what happened earlier?" her mother asked, rubbing her back and leaving a kiss on top of her head. "Baby, please talk to us. Tell us what happened, and why your so scared."

Feeling insecure about what was going to happen, and not knowing what to do next she just continued to cling to her dad. All she kept thinking was of how upset her mother would be when she found out. Not angry, but hurt. She couldn't face her mom, because she knew that she was the one responsible for hurting her.

In her mind, she came to the conclusion that if she must tell someone even the smallest piece of what was going on, it couldn't be her mom. As selfish as it may have been, she just couldn't handle seeing that look in her mom's eyes. Hurt, disappointment, disbelief. It was as if she could already see it before it even happened.

Before she opened her mouth, she knew how this was going to come out. But she knew it was what she had to do for now. She was cornered, and if she had to explain why she was acting this way to someone, it had to be her dad and her dad alone. Oh, but before the words even fell from her mouth she felt the wrongness of the sound.

"Mom.. I love you," she managed to mouth through her sudden burst of tears.

"I love you too, baby.. What's wrong? Please Sage, talk to us!" she cried.

"I.. I want to talk to Daddy. Alone." Sage said in very hushed tone, while looking up at her mom feeling guiltier than ever for now more than one reason. "I'm sorry… I'm.."

Looking surprised, and trying to cover her hurt she immediately chimed, "Oh… well. Ok then, honey. I understand." as she backed away, toward the door.

Jack looked back at her, into her sad eyes. He wanted to run after her to wrap his arms around her and kiss her all over. To take every ounce of pain away from her.

But his little daughter was in so much pain as well, and if it was so bad that she had actually become afraid to discuss it, he was not going to argue. He was going to get to the bottom of this, and he was going to do whatever he had to in order to protect his family.

He looked into his daughter's wet eyes and dried every last tear that had fallen, and replaced those areas with soft kisses. And when they had all gone away, and she had calmed down, he picked her up and set her down on his knee. He put his arm around her and looked into her eyes once more.

"Honey, I need you to tell me what's going on. And I need you to tell me right now, so I can make it better.. Please"

"But Daddy, I'm scared. I'm so scared!" she cried.

He kissed her forehead then reassured her, once more.

"Baby, I told you I'm never, ever, ever going to let anything happen to you. But I need to know what your so afraid of, what has you so scared? That guy your mother heard on the phone, the guy who tried to take you, did he threaten you? Is that what this is? Did he threaten to hurt you, or the family? Me and you m-"

"Its mommy! She's ..in danger, and I did something.. I did something I thought would save her, and you!" she burst, unable to hold it inside of her anymore. "But he lied and what I did didn't save her at all, I just made everything worse.. And.. And he said if I told anyone what he said he'd…"

"He'd…what? Sage?" he asked worriedly while brushing back his daughters hair, trying to seem as calm as possible for his daughter's sake. "Look at me honey, look up in my eyes. Now I promise you, there is no one on this planet who is going to hurt your mother, or you, or your brothers while I'm around. I swear it honey, I'll protect you no matter what. But you have to tell me Sage.. Do you have any idea what this guy wants? Who this man really is?"

"Well.. Does the name "Winston Lowe" mean anything to you?"


	4. Chapter 4

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.4

~CarJack4ever

He shut the door behind him, slowly inhaling the dry air surrounding him, trying to take in all that he had just been told. The details made him want to kill the mastermind responsible for this mess, but it seemed as if Winston Lowe was reaching out from the grave trying to hurt his wife once again. And it was impossible to kill one who was already dead. Why did it always come down to this?

There just always had to be something to throw the Snyder household off balance. To keep them from living peacefully, or at least without the interference of those who should not be involved in their daily lives. They had lived through so much, and had been challenged far more times than any family should. And yet still, it was one thing after another. When would enough be enough?

Sage's reluctance to discuss the situation must have been contagious. Because telling Carly seemed like the worst possible thing to do.

Not to mention that if too many people heard about this, it would get back to the man Sage described. And he might follow up on the threats he had given her. He may even lay out an even worse plan than he currently had, if made angry enough.

Oh but how angry it made Jack that some stranger was treating his daughter so badly in secret, and scaring her into doing things she didn't want to. To make her feel as terrible as she quite obviously did, when she shouldn't even have anything to do with this.

What kind of game was this guy playing? Taking advantage of his little girl was enough to make him angrier than ever, but if he laid a hand on his Carly that would be it. He'd kill him.

"Not_ my _family" he said quietly, but with such meaning as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back for a moment.

Now he had to face his wife, who was probably already upset at the thought of her daughter choosing Jack over her. At least that was the way she had perceived it, he knew already. She had no idea how afraid her daughter was of upsetting her. And in truth, he had felt Sage was still holding back about something. Something big. And he had to find out what it was.

But right now he had to look at Carly with out making it utterly obvious how afraid for her he was. If only there was some way around this. Some way to keep her safe without her ever knowing "Winston Lowe's" name was any part of this.

Ugh, he knew what he had to do.

He faintly stepped into the bedroom, noticing that Carly was lying in the opposite direction to that of which he entered. Lying in angst.

Jack crawled into bed sympathetically and placed his hand over her waist, then slid his arm down to pull her close to him.

She then nudged him with her elbow much to his surprise.

"Carly?" he stated, confused.

She turned to give him a stern look.

"Well it looks like you nor _your_ daughter ever intended to let me know what's going on. That's real nice Jack, thanks again for keeping us united as parents."

"No. Baby, you've got this all wrong."

"Do I, Jack?" she asked sarcastically, sure that her suspicions were correct. "Tell me again which part was wrong. The part about you and our daughter keeping things from me? Important things, that I have a right to know! Or the part where you become the favorite, and I'm just supposed to be ok with it?"

"Carly! You couldn't be more wrong, Sage loves you! I love you!" he said grabbing hold of her. "She's just scared, Carly. Whoever this guy is, he has her so afraid to even talk about what's going on. And honestly, honey. At Sage's age, I don't think she could possibly even understand what's going on, so naturally its something she would be afraid to come out and discuss. Especially when.. Well. Baby, I don't want to scare you. But it might.. Somehow.. have something to do with you."

Her eyes widened with shock.

"Jack.. You mean to tell me that the reason Sage is so upset.. The reason she's been avoiding me, and having nightmares. Its all because of me. That there's someone after my daughter because they have something against me..? Jack?"

"No, Carly. No, this could never be your fault. We're just both a little scared that _you_ could be in danger. But Carly, I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Sage. No one is going to hurt this family." he reassured her, " I'm going to have Hopkin's guard the house. And Parker's at a friend's, the baby's with Emma. I think we should leave Bradley with Emma a little longer and call Parker tomorrow. I'll tell him to stay there with him, and to keep an eye out. But since they haven't been targeted by this.. Guy, I think they'd be safer there."

It was still registering in her mind that all of this had come about so quickly.

"Jack.. Who on earth is doing this? And why? Why Sage? Oh no wonder she's been so scared, my poor baby. What exactly did she say, Jack?"

He paused, trying to avoid just that one minor detail that made him cringe.

There was no need to bring up that name to Carly. The guy had been dead for a long time, out of sight out of mind. Therefore there was no need to bring back those painful memories. It was over now, at least it should be.

Carly had already begun to blame herself, and she hadn't heard the half of it.

"Honey. How and why, that's not really important is it? I just need you two to stay here, don't go out if you don't have to, alright?"

She studied him for a minute.

"Jack. You're a terrible liar. I mean honestly, honey, its written all over your face."

"Carly, I'm not lying! I just… please just promise me your going to stay here with Sage until I sort this out. And if you really need to do something you'll call me and I'll have a tail follow you, okay?"

"Alright Jack, fine. I'll promise you that.."

"Okay.. Thank you."

"As_ soon _as you tell me whatever it is that you've been avoiding telling me!" she shot. "Really Jack, I know you think your protecting me. But I can handle it.. And don't you think if I'm the one in danger her that _I_ have a right to know just a few little details?"

"Sweetheart, I just don't see any need to-"

"Jack, I want to know! That should be enough!" she shouted. Then remembering that Sage was asleep, she lowered her voice. "Baby, you need to tell me whatever it is your avoiding telling me. I will find out sooner or later, so why don't you just tell me now and get it over with? Besides, Jack. How many times have you gotten angry with _me _for keeping things from you in the past?"

"This is different, Carly!"

"No its not! And.. Sweetie, I know that you have the best intentions right now. That you want to keep me safe and happy without upsetting me. But Jack, bad things are going to happen, we both know that. But I can get through anything as long as I have you by my side."

The warmth in his eyes lit up the room when he smiled at her. She was so right. They had been through hell and back, together. They were each others true north, and would always find their way back to each other. More simply put, he was hers, and she was his. Forever.

"Oh, Carly" he said, letting out a soft moan as he composed himself.

"Jack," she whispered, then softly kissed his warm lips. "Its okay, baby. You can tell me. Tell me everything."

He nodded, knowing that he now had no choice. There was no way around this, he had to tell her. Even if it killed him.

There Sage lay, awake. Just staring at the ceiling, occasionally letting her eyes ponder the surrounding walls.

Trapped, that was how she felt. She was stuck in a terrible situation that she couldn't get out of. And much like her father, she yearned to protect her family. To end this before it had gotten too out of hand. However, in her case, she felt she was already in too deep. That there was no escaping, and no place to hide. In fact, she felt that by lying up in her room, doing nothing, she was making matters even worse for herself and for everyone around her.

Now, much like her mother, she was about to act on her impulses. To do something that she would perhaps regret, but that she truly believed was the solution to their problems. She was going to take matters into her own hands.

Shutting the door behind her, Sage headed out into a world that had never felt so large. Not until she had begun to feel she was facing it on her own.


	5. Chapter 5

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.5

~CarJack4ever

It was still dark, but would soon be morning. As she walked into the distance, she was still composing what exactly her plans were. The only thing that she knew was that she had to find out who this "Winston Lowe" was and why he was so important. The way her dad's face completely froze at the sound of his name was enough to tell her that this guy was a big deal.

She concluded that she was not really putting herself in danger, because she wasn't going out to look for the man who had threatened her. No, that wouldn't do any good. Especially knowing as little as she did.

But rather she would find out some information for herself. And once she had gotten that much, she could head back home, where she would form the real plan.

Perhaps, if everything went the way it was supposed to, she could get back home before her parents even noticed she was gone.

The first idea that had come to her mind, not necessarily a foul proof plan, but an idea nonetheless, was to pay a visit to someone who resided at the Lakeview Hotel. Someone who usually played no part in any of their family matters, yet somehow always found a way to involve himself. Someone who would undoubtedly know something about Winston, whatever it may be. It might help her start to see the bigger picture, to put things together, and to find a way to protect her family. It was worth a try.

Besides, for someone who always had one foot in their door, it only seemed fair that for once her foot were to find its way to his.

Upon her arrival, it was very early, the sky barely lit showing the early signs of morning. She entered through the front door, and made her way through an empty lobby and to the elevator.

Somewhere between stepping off the elevator and trotting to room 211 it had occurred to her that at such an early hour, Craig was probably still in a deep sleep, as most would be.

Oh well.. This would be for every time he'd made eyes at her mother, every dime he had stolen from her brother, and the way he made it appoint to intentionally aggravate her father whenever he was around. What a nuisance, it was about time someone bothered _him_.

"Here goes nothing.." she said before giving the hotel room door a few good pounds. "Craig! Craig! Its Sage Snyder.. Let me in! Craig, I know your in there!"

Of course he was home. The way it always appeared to her, outside of his obsession with her mom, he potentially had no life.

However, if she was going to get back before her parents noticed her absence, she'd have to get this over with fast.

"Craig!" she cried again.

The door abruptly swung opened, and there stood Craig Montgomery. Wearing only a throw over robe and pair of shorts, he looking peeved.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked in confusion.

"Craig, I know you were probably sleeping. Sorry about that, but I have to ask you something. Its important, and I think.. after everything that happened with Parker, that you owe my family so you have to tell me. Now." she piped, seemingly proud of the quick composition.

"So you came all the way over here at.. 5:00 am to ask me this 'question'? You know Johnny could have been-"

"Oh, but he wasn't! So I don't see what difference that makes now." she added before he could finish. "And what difference does the time make either, Craig? I happen to have plans set for all day today. Can I help it if these plans just happened to be first on my agenda?"

"Well.. Um. Do your parents know you're here?" he questioned, still confused.

"They know that I'm out.. Yeah. But really, Craig. I was the one with the questions. Remember? And I do have a time limit by the way. So I need you to tell me what you know about "Winston Lowe". And I know you know something. So spill!"

At hearing that name brought up for the first time in a long time, it struck him as very odd and questionable.

"Why do you want to know about him? Is everything alright with your mother?"

"I knew you knew something! Yes, she'll be fine. But could you please just tell me _something! _I need to know, Craig!"

"Sage, are you sure Carly's alright?" he asked with a bit of concern. "If your mom wanted you to know-"

"I need to know, Craig! If you know something that can help me, I'll do whatever you want me to. Just tell me! You have no idea how important this is." she pleaded.

Craig was now given the shameful opportunity to take advantage of a child. Something that good people would not consider was something that Craig seen as the answer to his nightly prayers. This would be how he could win Carly from Jack! Of course, this had to be it! His chance!

"Alright, Sage. I can help you. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Ah, finally! Thank y-"

"On one condition." he uttered.

"Ok fine, what do you want?" she asked, annoyed.

"A night with your mother.. Just one night, its all I ask."

"Craig, she and my dad are married! What, are you dreaming?"

"Not as a date. Calm down, Detective Jack Junior. I just want to talk to her. As a friend. She hasn't spoken to me since what happened with your brother. And I just want a chance to.. Reinstate myself in her life."

She folded her arms and crinkled her nose, disturbed by the thought of him coming anywhere near her mom. However, it was more important to know she would stay safe. This would be the only way to get closer to solving the problem at hand.

"Alright, fine! I'll get you your chance or whatever, but you better not cause any trouble! Now come on, tell me right now. You've wasted too much time already." she chimed.

He smiled.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he teased.

"Jack.. Jack!" Carly cried throughout the house. "Jack, she's gone! She's.."

"What do you mean 'gone'? How could she be gone, Carly? We just.."

"Oh God, Jack! He took our baby! That friend of Winston Lowe's that she told you about. He must have somehow gotten into our house and took Sage! Jack, do something!"

"Oh, Carly." Was all Jack could manage to say, painfully staring into the eyes of his wife, whom he wanted to stay strong for. But he was just as afraid as she was for their child. He grabbed her and held her close. He kissed the top of her head, through her hair, and then kissed her again on her forehead. Still holding her with one arm, he reached for the phone.

The decision to jog home seemed to take her mind off of the pure agony that she would more than likely face upon her homecoming. She looked at her watch, knowing that only by some strange miracle would her parents still be asleep at this time. By now they were pacing the floors and searching every inch of the house.

And after last night, spilling almost everything she knew to her very overprotective father, she knew that he had probably already planned a lock down for both her and her mother. She loved him more than life itself, but wow could he be protective. She knew already that until further notice, he would not be taking an eye off of either of them, for any reason.

Maybe there was still a little hope?

"I'll run faster" she spoke.

Her feet were pounding against the pavement the same way they were that night. The night that she was almost kidnapped by Gerard Lowe, that is, if her suspicions were correct. The only known "Lowe" left in existence, or so Craig said. It was a far stretch, but this had to be him. She just knew it.

Now she was practically home. Running up the drive way, she intended to bust through the front door as quickly as possible. Similar to ripping off a band aid. The faster she did this the better.

Seconds from swinging opened the door to her house, she noticed an OPD squad car pulling up in the corner of her eye.

"Oh no…. Dad!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone.

Creeping inside, she witnessed her mom and dad in a tight embrace. Upset, as she had expected. She, however, felt guiltier than she had expected. That picture was one that she could not erase, the image of her loving parents in such a state of worry caused by something she had done.

Maybe she could.. Lighten the mood? A little?

"Um… Surprise!" she shouted forcefully, as a nervous smile formed onto her face.

Okay, so maybe joking around wasn't the way to go…


	6. Chapter 6

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.6

~CarJack4ever

"Sage." Jack said, turning from Carly and directed his attention to the front door. There his unharmed, but very out of breath daughter stood.

Noticing that sudden jolt, his wife turned as well. The element of surprise showing through her disgruntled expression, that of which she also directed at the young girl.

The image of herself at that age was propped right there in front of her. The beautiful young girl who was painfully unaware of her surroundings; Impulsive and jumping into things thoughtlessly; Going about things all wrong without even realizing it until the moment of truth, when reality forcefully kicked in.

"Sage! Where have you been?" Carly asked, coming forward as was her husband.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?" Jack added.

Anticipating some sort of response, they hadn't paid any mind to the squad car parked at the end of their driveway. It wasn't until Reynolds stuck his head in the door that there had been any recollection of even the phone call from earlier. It all seemed to be a blur until that moment of relapse.

"Hey Jack, we've got an amber alert out but have-"

"She's.. right here, Reynolds." he enunciated, giving him a quick nod. As relieved as he was that his daughter was safe, it was obvious how embarrassed he was. Now looking down, he added "I'm sorry about.."

"No, Jack. It's fine." he replied, recognizing that look of discomfort. "Sage, I'm glad your alright."

He gave her a quick glance and smile before exiting to make some calls.

Before her parents had the chance to question her any further, she decided to open up the tightly capped bottle of guilt inside of her.

"I never meant to scare you guys, I would never want to do that! Or to embarrass Dad! I'm so sorry. I really wasn't thinking and well.. I just wanted air and went for a walk.. I lost track of time." she started.

"Honey, you know your not supposed to be walking around by yourself without telling us! And especially so late at night." Carly spoke, assertively.

"Sage, I thought you understood, after our talk last night that we didn't want you trying to handle things on your own. You need to come to one of us if your having a problem. Especially now, sweetie, you've got to come to us and tell us what's going on with you. Okay?" said Jack.

"I know.. And I'm really sorry. I don't blame you guys for being really angry."

She was then swept up into her parents arms, her eyes beaming.

"We're not angry, Sage." her mom affirmed as she gently pulled back from their snug embrace. "But you did scare us half to death."

"I'm sorry.." she restated.

"And if you _ever_ do anything like this again." Jack began to warn.

"I won't, Daddy. I promise."

He rubbed her back, and smiled at those big eyes that kept gleaming up at him. Thank God she was safe.

The thought of that creepy friend of Winston's touching his baby ever again was completely out of the question. This event had only made him more eager to solve the case and find this guy. The only problem was that there were so many pieces missing. As far as he and Carly knew, Winston had no close family or friends. Who was this guy? And what was he really after?

"So I'm sure you two are starving by now, how about I go make us some brunch?" Carly suggested.

"Actually, babe. I was thinking I'd go into the station for a while."

"The station? But Jack, you've hardly slept and you haven't even had breakfast."

"So, I'll pick something up on the way." he replied, then gently kissing her lips before she could say another word. Prior to his exit, he whispered the words "I love you" into her ear.

She giggled and told him she loved him too.

Then catching a peek at Sage before he left, noticing the way she had herself propped against the couch expressing her exhaustion from the long morning, he ran back inside to give her a kiss.

"And I love you, princess." he sincerely spoke.

"I love you too, Daddy." she responded, then returning a kiss before he walked out the door.

When the door slammed shut, Sage could tell that something was strewing in her mother's mind. She knew her all too well, and she would no doubt realize that her daughter was hiding something just by a few good looks. Oh no, she had to make an escape before she put it all together.

"Mom, I'm not really hungry. I'm just going up to my room." she spat out, trying to scurry to the stair case before Carly would realize she was avoiding her again.

"Oh, no your not young lady."

Why was she so good at this?

"You've hardly talked to me all week. Now I think its only fair you sit down with me, and we can talk over some milk and cookies. Okay, sweetie?"

"Okay." she said, trying to act as normally as possible, but her gestures alone being a dead giveaway that something was off.

Carly grabbed some chocolate chip cookies from the little cookie jar in the kitchen and put them all on a dish. Next to two large glasses of milk, she set them down on the table.

Looking down at her daughter, she reached out to touch her hand. They wrapped their fingers around each others, both smiling. Then Carly decided to start off the discussion, and address what needed to be addressed.

"Sage, honey. Your dad told me. About the man.. And about the designs."

The little girl immediately hung her head, looking as if she could break out in tears at any given moment.

"How angry are you?" she asked, still facing the ground and biting her lip.

Carly was shocked to hear her even ask such a question. She lifted her chin to look at the expression on her face and the truth in her eyes. She was honestly scared.

"Oh, baby. You really thought I was going to be mad about this?" she softly asked, as her daughter responded only in swift nods. "Sage, of course I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart. The only person I'm mad at now is the man who scared my little girl."

"No, mom. That's not true, I did! I totally betrayed you! I just gave away your designs, thinking all of these problems would go away and instead I made it all worse. Its all my fault, and I wouldn't blame you if you hated me. I knew how hard you worked on them, and I just gave them to him anyways. I'm sorry.. I'm a terrible daughter." she expressed while beginning to sob.

Carly reached out her arms and held her, subtly rocking back and forth in place.

"Sage, you stop it right now. None of this is your fault, and I could never, ever hate you. You are the best daughter a mom could ask for, and nobody's mad at you, honey. You hear me?" she asked rhetorically. "Now, is this what you were trying to tell me before? When Parker came in?"

She nodded slowly, and opened up her wet eyes.

"Yeah, but I just couldn't tell you, mom. I couldn't stand to hurt you."

"Your haven't hurt me, Sage. I don't care about the designs, I just want you to stay safe. That's all I care about!" she exclaimed.

"But _I'm _not the one in danger, mom!"

After talking to Craig, Sage knew everything. She knew all about her mom's kidnapping and what happened in Hong Kong. No wonder her parents had never told her, maybe she really couldn't handle it. Now it was hard enough to act like she didn't now know all that her mother had been through. But she had to, for now.

"Nothings going to happen to either of us, so stop worrying, Sage." she ordered.

"Okay." she said, trying to seem convinced

"So Sage, are you sure that nothing happened on this walk?"

"Like what?" she asked, avoiding the question.

"Why don't you tell me." she said, narrowing her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.7

~Carjack4ever

"Hey Jack, about that file you were asking for.." Dallas started, holding a folder in one hand and using the other to lean against Jack Snyder's desk.

"Yeah. Did you find anything?" he asked, curious and somewhat hopeful.

Dallas, on the other hand had set a completely different mood. He reluctantly handed Jack the mysterious file.

"Your um.. Going to have to see this for yourself."

At that, Dallas walked off in a respectful manner, allowing his coworker some privacy to consume the information he had just come across.

Jack opened the folder slowly, reading through each bit thoroughly. And soon enough, he reached the startling portion of writing that Dallas had insinuated he would. The jaw-dropping, eye opening words that changed everything.

Paranoia was like a disease. From her head to her toes, every inch of her body was racing. Sitting still was no longer an option when, in her mind, everything was about to fall apart. Everything that was happening now had to be happening for a reason.

Anyone who really knew Sage knew how mythological she was. She seen things that other people didn't. And sometimes it could be great thing, while other times it was merely seeing something that just wasn't there.

There was no foul in believing in miracles and to see hidden signs. Paranoia, however, was entirely different. It was an obsession, and she needed to stop. To get thoughts back in order.

Interrupting her deep conscious thoughts, she heard her phone ringing.

"Hello." she answered, speedily.

"Hey girl! What are you doing?"

It was Hannah, one of her best friends.

"You aren't sitting around obsessing over something silly again, are you?" Hannah prompted, as if she somehow knew.

"Ugh, you caught me. How'd you know?"

"When are you not lately?" she responded, adding a little chuckle. "Well don't worry, I know just what to do! There's nothing a little retail therapy can't solve."

"I totally want to, but I don't think I can. My parents don't really want me going out today."

"Oh, come on Sage. You know you can convince your mom if you really want to! Do I have to call her myself?"

"Han, I'll try but I don't think I can."

"Alright.. And tell her my parents are going to be around the whole time so there's nothing to worry about, okay?"

"Okay, okay! I'll let you know what she says." Sage exclaimed before quickly hanging up and running downstairs to hear the verdict.

Hopefully she wasn't still suspicious about the walk. It took a lot to make her getaway upstairs, and she really didn't want to explain going to Craig yet. One way or another, it was going to come out. But there was no reason to bring it up now.

When Sage entered the living room, Carly was curled up on the couch with the tv on, but not paying any mind. She was working hard on a sketch, and it was clear how engaged she was. Her mom's level of dedication to design was far beyond her own understanding.

"Mom.. Mom?" she called, snapping her back to reality.

"Oh. Hi, sweetie."

"Hi." she said cutely, preceding the big question. "So.. I was thinking."

"What about?"

"Well… I know you and dad really don't want me going far from home now, but see I just can't stay inside anymore. I'm driving myself crazy!"

Carly was amused by her daughters extreme word choice, but did understand.

"And you want to hang out with your friend Hannah, right?"

"How'd you know?" she asked, surprised.

"I overheard you two talking a few minutes ago. And… I think I'm okay with it. As long as you you two stay together, and you keep your cell phone on. I don't want you out past dark either."

"Okay, ah.. Thank you! Thank you!" she shouted excitedly, then came to a quick realization. "Wait.. Who's going to tell Dad?"

"Don't worry, Sage. I'll talk to your dad. You just be safe, okay?"

"I will. Thank you so much!" she cried out as she pulled out her phone and dialed her friend's number to bear the great news.

Soon enough she was out the door and on her way to the mall.

Sage and Hannah were settled down at a little table in the food court. After about 45 minutes of browsing and trying on clothes, sunglasses, and endless accessories they had developed a strong thirst for strawberry smoothies. Hannah, however, began to crave something more than a smoothie.

"Sage, he's here!" she said, almost bouncing in her seat.

"What? Who's here?."

"Only the hottest guy in school, Ryan Peterson! Ah, how do I look?"

"You look great. You should go say something to him."

"Are you kidding? Ryan's like 3 years older than me. He's never even noticed me before." she shot, sounding as if she meant the words she was saying, but her eyes stayed locked on Ryan saying the complete opposite. Then she noticed something.

"Oh my gosh. Sage! His friend was so looking at you!"

"Yeah, right." she stated in disbelief.

"Sage, he just did it again. Sage, oh my gosh! I think they're coming over here!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes! Yes! Okay, so I get Ryan and you get his hot friend!"

"Hannah!" she exclaimed.

The girl had no time to respond because with the next look, they were there. Ryan and his friend had made their way to the table, and Hannah being the instigator that she was decided to kick things off.

"Hey Ryan.. So who's your friend? I couldn't help but see the look in his face when he seen my friend Sage."

Sage blushed and her eyes grew in diameter. Did she have to say that?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just that you carry.. Such beauty."

Oh my, her heart melted. Good looks, a charming accent, and acknowledging her as a beautiful young woman. It was almost too good to be true.

Still blushing, she managed to let out a "thank you".

"This is my friend, Marco. He just moved back to town." Ryan replied. "But anyways, I think I've seen you guys around school. How old are you?"

"We're both 16!" Hannah called out, before Sage could stop her.

"Me too. So uh.. You want to walk for a while?" he asked Hannah, specifically.

She agreed, of course, leaving Sage and Marco alone.

"I am 18 in August." he shared.

Wow, was he old. He was as old as her brother. Hannah was going to pay for this!

"Ohh." she said, glaring around the room. He did seem nice enough, and very attractive. But her parents wouldn't like this. Not a bit.

"Your friend and my friend, they really hit it off."

"Yeah.. Looks like it." she answered, cautiously. "Marco, your really nice. But I have to be home soon, and I think I should call my mom."

He looked sort of stunned.

"Beautiful 16 year old girl with out a license?" he asked curiously.

She chuckled, then pulled out her phone to call her mom.

"Wait!" he called, lightly tapping her arm. "Don't bother your mom. I'll give you a ride."

"That's sweet but-"

"No. I insist."

His smile was charming, and it was hard to resist the temptation of just gazing into those lovely hazel eyes for a while longer.

She had now made her decision. And she was not going to be paranoid anymore. What was the worst that could happen anyways?

"Okay." she mouthed, getting up from the little table and walking by his side toward the parking lot.

Upon her entrance, he opened and shut the car door for her in proper gentleman fashion. She was flattered.

However, what she had hadn't seen was the text that Marco had ready to send on his phone. Just one little word that said so much. Four simple letters: DONE.


	8. Chapter 8

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.8

~Carjack4ever

Carly opened the door and looked up at the dimly lit sky. It would soon be night, and still she hadn't received any calls from her daughter.

"Sage.. Where are you?" she asked, then turning her head down and tapping her cell phone. "I'll give you ten minutes. But that's all."

She turned to enter the house, feeling a sudden chill down her spine. Waiting made it even stronger, and she began to question her decision to let Sage go.

"Do you want.. 'radio'?" Marco suggested.

"No, I'm good." she answered, smiling. "So, Ryan said you just moved back. Where have you been living up until now?"

"I've moved around a lot."

"Oh. Well then, what brought you back to Oakdale?"

He just glared at her, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting far against the window. His charming smile seemed to fade very quickly.

"You ask many questions." he responded, seemingly perturbed.

The sudden attitude change turned Sage's stomach a little. She had managed to let down her guard so much so that the unexpected alteration made her jump back in her seat.

"I'm.. sorry" she softly whispered, hoping to calm him after the outburst.

The paranoia had now returned, and was worse now than ever. Now that she was sitting in the car with a stranger, someone whom she had just met and was capable of anything, it really hit her hard. And it must have shown through her expressions how fearful she was, unsure of what her next move would be.

The ride had stayed silent the rest of the way, up until Sage's directory was needed.

"Just make a left up here." she said, pointing a finger out her side of the window, where her street was soon to approach.

He hadn't seemed to acknowledge her request. His focus remained straight ahead of him, and it seemed as if he had no longer recognized her as the beautiful woman he just couldn't take his eyes off of. Perhaps he hadn't recognized her presence at all. What was wrong with him?

"Hey.. Marco? Did you hear me?" she called, snapping her fingers lightly next to his face. "Marco, turn here! This is my street!"

His eyes turned her way to glare, once again. This time, however, she seen something different in his eyes. It was something very dark, completely lacking the compassion and beauty that she had seen before. If she didn't know any better she would have thought she was seated next to an entirely different person.

He kept the wheel in place ahead of him, and his head hadn't turned even slightly to observe either side of him.

Sage's heart was pounding as he seemed to speed even more while passing the turn onto her street. And although she was not given much time to react, the first thing that came to mind was to grab the wheel right from his hands.

At that she grasped her fingers tightly around the handles, and fought him with all she had to keep hold of that wheel. As she turned it to the left, he forcefully spun it right. They continued to fight for the wheel for a while.

Sure, Sage may have been stronger than most girls her age, but even so, she could not overpower the vicious shoves of a hefty young man like Marco.

So as she felt her neck ram into the door, the car began to swerve onto the side of the road. It came to a stop, and Sage managed to swiftly pull up the lock and jump out of the car, with intent to run up the road until she had finally made it home.

She kicked the dirt beneath her feet in an attempt to run, and no sooner did she realize that she wasn't going anywhere. And before she could let out a cry for help, her mouth was covered by a cloth or something of the sort.

The strewing thoughts she held inside suddenly became more and more distant. Her head had become so heavy, and any ideas she had were as good as gone.

She was out, and immediately thrown to the backseat of the car.

In the process, her phone swung straight out of her pocket and into the road.

Marco, however, was much more focused on making a fast getaway than checking the grounds for footprints left behind or rather items that had fallen below.

As they sped away and into the unknown, it had been only a moment or two before Sage's cell phone began to vibrate off the hook.

There Carly sat, her thumb not once budging from the redial button, when in came Jack. Pacing, it was obvious that he was fuming about something.

"Carly, hey. Is Sage upstairs?" Jack asked, then suddenly grasping the vibe that his wife was sending him. And no sooner absorbing the 'Please forgive me' look on her face. "Oh, Carly.. Please tell me you didn't cave and let her go away from home today. Not now.. Carly! Please, tell me that's not what happened!"

"Jack.." she started, although really no explanation was needed. Her eyes had confessed already.

"Carly, no. Don't even.. Do you have any idea how much danger she's in right now?"

"What are you talking about, Jack?"

Troubled for words, he just stared at her expression, then turned the other way. With one hand covering his mouth, he lifted his head to mentally ask 'Why?'.

"Carly, I don't have time to explain! Just.. Wherever she is, we've got to go there. We've got to go there and find her before its too late."

Her heart had just skipped one beat too many. It was now confirmed that something was very wrong and Sage was in a lot of danger. And now Sage wasn't answering her cell phone, when she promised that she would, and that she would be home before dark.

It wasn't like her to break a promise, a promise to her parents especially.

"Oh, God. Jack.." she spoke, the words cutting through the open air. "She went to the mall with Hannah, but they were supposed to be back by now! She promised me she would be, and now she's not answering her phone!"

"Carly," he began, while the ability to breathe became harder and harder for him. "You call Hannah and her parents, I'm going to head to the mall and-"

"I'm coming with you!" she cut. "You don't honestly think I'm going to sit around waiting when my daughter's in danger, do you?"

He looked aggravated, but did not put up an argument.

"Fine." he responded, as they sprinted out the door and hopped into the car, determined to find their one and only little girl.

Jack and Carly now entered the mall, hoping to God that their daughter was here and alright.

Sage still hadn't responded, nor did her friend Hannah. Hannah's parents, however, were quick to pick up their phone. And they were apparently on their way to get the mall to pick up the two girls now.

"Jack!" Carly called pointing to the other end of the mall excitedly. "There's Hannah!"

"Oh, Thank God." he said, relieved.

They ran through the crowded walkway, holding hands the entire time. Now arriving at their desired location, they began to question the empty surroundings. The fact that their child was no where to be seen had created so many open spaces around them. The relief that they had felt now turned to worry and grief once again, all in one single instant.

"Hannah. Where is Sage?" Carly asked, in deep concern.

Hannah looked so scared that she could cry. She looked overwhelmed, as well as very guilty.

Regarding her unresponsiveness, Jack made a chilling comment.

"I swear if you know something about what happened to my daughter, and you _don't _tell me.."

"I'm sorry, I.. I thought she went home!" she cried.

"What do you mean? Why would she leave? And more importantly, how?" Carly asked.

"Tell me everything you know." Jack spoke, trying to simmer his voice down to a low, but still very serious and persistent.

She paused to nervously bite her lip, then looked back to where she and her friend had sat not very long ago. And after a few blinks, she started.

"Well.. We were in the food court when these guys came up to talk to us. I knew one of them, Ryan, from school. But the guy that was with him, Marco.. Well he seemed like he liked Sage. And I decided I'd leave them alone to talk while I walked with Ryan. But then, when I cam back, they were both gone. And she hasn't taken my calls or answered my texts which isn't like her."

They were both extremely shocked to hear that all of this had taken place so quickly.

"So wait, you don't know anything about.. this guy she was with?" Jack asked.

"Well not really.. But he's Ryan's friend, and I think he's still downstairs with some friends. You can try to catch him." Hannah suggested, still nervous, then continued. "I'm sorry.. I hope Sage is okay."

Jack jumped up, not wanting to miss the opportunity to question the boy while he was still here.

"Thanks, sweetie." Carly said compassionately, seeing how shaken the girl was.

"Come on," Jack instructed, ready to run. "Show me where Ryan is."

Now reaching a spot that had conveniently overlooked Ryan and his friend circle, Hannah pointed him out to Jack and Carly.

Ergo, Jack shuffled down the staircase as Carly followed. He hadn't realized just how quickly he floated through the crowd, immediately approaching the boy, ready to interrogate. And more than that, ready to pounce on the guy who took his daughter, as well as the true mastermind behind the entire sick diversion.


	9. Chapter 9

Carjack: Getting There

Ch.9

~Carjack4ever

"Detective, I've told you everything I know! I swear!" Ryan whined.

"Look, I'm done playing games here! That friend of yours has my little girl! Now you can either tell me what you know now, or I'll drag you down to the station and you'll tell me there. So what's it going to be?"

At this point, those who were lingering near Ryan and his friend circle had either fled the area or stood a fair distance away to observe the scene.

The sound of Carly in the background, reminding him to stay calm, and the touch of her hand on his shoulder was the only thing keeping Jack from flying off the deep end.

No, this boy probably had nothing to do with Sage's sudden disappearance, not directly. But he had to have known something. Whether it be as simple as what kind of car Marco drove, or what the hell he was doing in Oakdale in the first place, it was something.

"Tell me everything you know about this 'Marco'. If he said anything about my daughter, or did anything that led you to believe he was going to hurt her, tell me now." Jack said, pushing to find out some answers that he knew were there. "Word is you've known Marco for a long time. So I think you have some idea what he's all about by now, right?"

Ryan's eyes gazed the wide shopping center, now nearly empty. There was plenty of space to run, but surely his conscience was not something he could escape. So, nervously, he decided it best to share his knowledge and put an end to the inquisitions.

"Well, Marco.. He gets these 'jobs', or so he calls them. They're very confidential, so he can't divulge too much. But he did say that he was down here on business, and that he had to keep it on the down low." he stopped, trying to remain calm, but also checking over his words to make sure it had all come out right so far.

And to continue, he said, "Well, now that I think about it, it wasn't long after that that he started asking me about that detective's daughter. I didn't even know Sage by name until he pointed her out. He was very interested in her.. So I'm thinking maybe she had something to do with this 'job' he was talking about.. He said he was about to come into a lot of money."

Looking sick to his stomach, Jack could barely speak. Nor could Carly who immediately caught his gaze. Both giving each other the identical look, it was peculiar that it seemed to have an extreme affect on the both of them. Perhaps they hadn't quite recognized the look until they had seen it for themselves, but more than anything it was that place they had always fallen at times like these. To each other.

Jack pulled Carly to him and kissed her forehead. She stood, hugging him back but still keeping focus on the young boy who had just shaken their world so much so that it felt as if it was no longer turning.

Snapping back to reality, knowing how quickly he was forced to react when there was only so much time, Jack also turned to face the boy in front of him.

"Could you tell me what kind of car he was driving when you came in?"

Ryan thought for a moment, then spat out the first thought that popped into his head.

"It was a Chevy, silver I believe. But I.. I don't have the license or anything like that if you were hoping for-"

"No, that's fine. We can work with that." Jack cut in, quickly pulling out his cell phone to call Margo and inform her of the current situation. Oh, how he would hate even to relate these words. They were painful enough just to think about.

Carly patted her husband's back, and turned to look back at Ryan, and then to Sage's friend Hannah and her parents before their exit. She was flustered, and in complete disbelief. It was hard to believe that anyone would ever want to hurt Sage. Why on earth would anyone want to hurt her baby?

And in the midst of her confusion and anger towards whomever was behind this, she also began to blame herself very much so for the extreme occurrences that had she was still taking the time to absorb.

Closing his phone and looking to his side, Jack right away knew the look in Carly's eyes. And seeing her in such a state made everything that was happening hurt so much more.

Carly shut her eyes for a second or two, secretly hoping that when she opened them it would all just go away somehow. That it would all have been nothing more than a distant dream, a terrible one at that. And she could run to her daughter when the sun rose outside her window, and give her a big hug and it would be over. She knew, however, that that would not be the case. But still, she began to slowly open her eyes.

And her husband who moments ago stood to her right, now stood right in front of her, before her eyes. His hand was lightly pressed against the side of her face.

She reached up her right hand to touch his, and quickly they began to cling together.. Both feeling so broken and empty inside, they needed each other more now than ever.

The natural forces between the two of them was much to fight, but now they had to find their daughter. They had to find her safe, and get her home before she had gotten any farther from their reach.

"We're going to find her, baby. We will, I promise." Jack whispered reassuringly to his wife, trying himself to believe strongly in his own words.

He looked at her, and she looked back at him. And at that, on they went, ready to find their daughter together.

Meanwhile, at the station..

Margo's eyes popped as she stood motionless, staring at one harmless piece of paper as if she were facing the devil himself.

"Has Jack seen this?" she asked, turning to Dallas.

He nodded, immediately lowering his head to the ground, but still keeping fair eye contact.

"You don't think it has to do with.."

"I think it's a definite possibility."

Breaking through a glance of sudden rush and tension, in came Craig Montgomery.

"Margo!" he called, smiling from ear to ear, still mentally gloating about his so thought recent breakthrough with the Snyder's, thanks to young Sage.

"Craig, now's not the time." she shot.

Paying no mind to her plea for him to leave, he managed to scoot around both Margo and Dallas, making his way to Jack Snyder's empty, unguarded desk.

Observing the pile of papers scattered about the desk top, and taking note, he turned back to Margo. Smirking, he decided to comment.

"Typical."

"Craig, are you done?"

"Alright, alright." he said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes to the sky, still grinning.

As he began to strut out of the station, he couldn't help but overhear the mention of Sage's name.

Pausing in his steps, he slowly turned back only to see a fellow officer confronting Margo. He mentioned a little silver car that had stopped to speak with a trucker near the highway.. A young boy… And a girl that looked about Sage's age.

"Sage has been kidnapped!" he exclaimed, proud smirk quickly evolving to a deep frown and look of shock.

"Craig, what are you still doing here?" Margo answered.

"Margo, when was she taken? She was just… this morning I seen her!"

Looking intrigued, her fast pace of thought slowly calmed itself to fully hear just what her brother was saying.

"Wait.. How did you see Sage? ..Did she say anything?" Margo prompted.

"Yeah.. It was strange actually. She came over around 5:00 am and asked me about Winston Lowe.. She for some reason wanted to know all about him. So I told her everything I knew."

Margo took a step back, surprised to hear that Sage even knew of Winston. Maybe she had suspected beforehand that their was a Lowe walking the streets of Oakdale, and hadn't said anything.

Maybe he had been here all this time, just waiting for the right moment to strike. And now that he had, who knows what he had ultimately planned...

She woke up cold and shaken. Slowly arising from her low to the ground position, she examined her surroundings.

It was very dark, but she could see a small shred of light through the little tinted window in the far back.

Coming around a sharp turn, Sage was once again thrown to the ground. And taking note of the bulky man in the front seat of the van, she decided to stay down for now. She didn't yet want to make her consciousness known. Because she was scared, and had no idea what to expect next.

As memories began trailing back to her, she felt such a fool for ever trusting Marco.

She felt more of a fool for not listening to her dad. If she had, none of this ever would have happened. This was all her fault.

She wasn't entirely sure just how much time had passed, but couldn't help but wonder if her parents had figured out she was missing yet.

"Please find me, Dad." she mentally begged, over and over, in the hopes that wherever he was he would somehow feel her calling out to him and come save her from whatever it was that she would soon have to endure.


	10. Chapter 10

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.10

~Carjack4ever

"You must be hungry." he said plainly, lowering a dish to the ground and sliding it toward her.

She looked at it sickly, as if the turkey sandwich had somehow become responsible for her abduction.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, now approaching her from the kitchen, near the front of the house.

Nicely put together, it was. A very cute location too, she liked that little lake out front.

The company, however, was not to her liking. Nor were the circumstances of this visit.

"You never answered my question." she shot, looking straight into the eyes of her perpetrator.

Squatting down, one hand on each of his knees, he looked back at her with the same strength and aggression that she had clearly shown.

"I'll tell you when I know I can trust you." he replied, almost teasingly, then reached for the top of her head to playfully rub his fingers through her smooth, virgin hair.

Pulling back abruptly, she glared at him, angered and taking much offense.

"Don't touch me." she stated softly, but in a deep, husky tone. The seriousness in her voice would spark no confusion.

And yet, her reaction did signal a spark, of some sort, that was just waiting to ignite. At first he seemed insulted and bitter.

But next, glancing down at the untouched sandwich and chips, he became instantaneously infuriated.

Slinging the dish to the side, and watching as it shattered into fifths, he popped up impulsively and ran down the hall into a bedroom.

Scared and unsure, she studied the room in search of something useful. Just then, she noticed the silliest of mistakes that the man could have made.

Right there on his counter, there was a cell phone.

Leaping up to grab it before he returned, she snatched it and quickly dialed 911.

Holding the phone to her ear with one hand and rustling through nearly empty cupboards with the other, she continually turned, keeping a watchful eye on the hallway so she would not get caught.

"911," the voice spoke.

"Oh, thank G-"

"We are experiencing a high call volume right now, please hold."

"Are you serious!" she exclaimed, in a very hushed tone, wishing to scream at the top of her lungs.

Hearing little footsteps coming from different parts of the house, she decided it was pointless to wait and simply dialed her dad's number.

"Detective Jack Sn-"

"Dad!" she exclaimed, quietly as possible, but still within a range that could be easily heard.

"Sage? Baby, is that you? Are you okay? Where are-"

"Yeah, it's me. I don't have much time. But I'm at some house, and there's a lake outside.. We came in a dark van, I'm not sure where we are though. Can you trace this call or something?" she spat as quickly as possible, then realizing that the footsteps were starting to get closer.

"I can but you have to stay on for a while longer, can you do that?"

As she'd love to say yes, who knows what would happen next if the man saw her with his cell phone. He'd shown his temper once already, and she had no idea what to expect next.

So quickly, she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"I think this has something to do with a guy named 'Gerard Lowe'. It's a long story, but go talk to Craig. I have to go, I'm sorry. I love you. Tell mommy I love her!" she called, quickly hanging up the phone, erasing the call from the call log, and placing it back on the counter right where it had sat.

And when she turned around, there he stood; Holding a coil of rope and a roll of duck tape.

_Back at the station..._

"Craig, why haven't you told anyone this? If you didn't want to tell me, fine. But don't you think Carly and Jack had a right to know?" Margo asked, at this point very worked up over her brother's withheld information.

Looking shocked that any confrontation was brought to him, he threw his hands in the air childishly, make his fit known to all of the OPD.

"I didn't know I was supposed to!"

"You didn't think it was important to tell anyone that Winston had a son? A son with severe psychological problems especially!"

"Margo, Winston never even talked to his son! He disowned him as a child, I didn't think it made any difference to bring up."

"It makes a big difference! My God.. Craig I can't believe this!"

Watching as she pulled her hand to her head, eyes bulging, it became transparent to Craig that perhaps keeping this a knowledge a secret was not the smartest idea..

As she turned her back to pull out her cell phone, Craig decided to scurry out and avoid any more confrontation.

_Meanwhile..._

"Sage!.. Sage?" Jack cried into the phone, then pulled it from his ear only to see that the call had ended.

At that, Carly walked out of the party store and ran to Jack when she caught his eye.

"Hey Jack, the owner says that he seen a boy that fit Marco's description. He said he was asking for directions to the nearest gas station which had been a ways up the road, and it wasn't that long ago so he's probably still around.." she stopped, now capturing that frozen look on his face, and asked. "Jack, who was that on the phone?"

"It was her. Carly, it was Sage."

"Sage! Is she okay, Jack? Where is she?"

"She sounded okay, but that's just it. She doesn't know where she is.. She said it was a house on a lake, and she told me she came in a van.. And then she said me to talk to Craig.."

"Craig? What?.. Why would Craig be involved in any of this?"

"I don't know, but that's what she told me. And then she said she loved us, but she had to go."

Carly couldn't help but smile a little.

"Thank God, Jack. She's alright!" she exclaimed, exhaling with relief.

As she threw her arms around his neck, it was then that she noticed a little figure walking in the distance. And next to the figure: A broken down silver chevy on the side of the street. Ah, karma!

"Jack, its him! In the street!" she exclaimed, nearly jumping as she pointed him out. "I think that's Marco!"

He turned, ready to run, but first lifting her hands and mouthing the words, "wait here".

She truly did intend to listen. But when she seen the boy being violently thrown onto the side of his car, she knew it was time to intervene.

Rushing to the scene, she could hear the boy's wails as well as her husbands demands. His strong, powerful demands were something that only a fool would refuse to comply with.

If Marco valued his well-being, he would surely not withhold information about Jack Snyder's little girl.


	11. Chapter 11

CarJack: Getting There

Ch.11

~Carjack4ever

"I just don't understand how he broke out of Sunny Brooks. It looks pretty hands on, one of the best in the country." Dallas started, rubbing his chin.

"Well he couldn't have done it alone, that's for sure." Margo responded.

"So your saying there was a co-conspirator, someone who helped him?"

"Yes I am.. And I think the person behind this had a lot to gain."

Dallas looked both intrigued and confused.

"But who..?" he asked, looking down as he tried to piece it together.

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out." she said before setting down the file that she held, and making her way to the door.

As it swung closed, he softly spoke his thoughts.

"Well I sure hope its not.. No, It couldn't be.. Could it?"

Then realizing that he was thinking out loud, he stopped and shook his head embarrassedly, and returned to his work.

_Meanwhile.._

"Where the hell is she?"

"I tell you already, I don't know what your talking about! Let me go, I must leave now!" Marco called, as he loosened himself from Jack's grip, attempting to inch himself away so he could run.

His attempt, however was not successful. That became apparent when he once again found himself thrown against the vehicle.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, and your not going anywhere until you tell me where the hell my daughter is!"

"Jack," Carly started, looking off to her side as if she sensed someone near them. "Don't do something your going to regret.. It won't do Sage any good."

Looking back at her gently, he knew she was right. But he also knew that this kid was the only lead they had, and he was the last one to see Sage. The one who may hold the key to finding her.

Calming himself, he began.

"Tell me where my daughter is. Tell me right now, or.. You don't even want to know how much trouble you'll be in!"

"You can prove nothing." he spoke confidently.

As if Jack hadn't been wound up before, that really set him off. And as anger filled his bones, he was not given much time to react. He could hear the loud speakers of a car speeding up behind him.

"Yo, Marco!" a teen yelled out the window.

Both hands still holding tightly to Marco's shirt, he slightly turned to see who was there.

"Marco, you coming or what?" another yelled.

And at that, Marco began to fight. Struggling to release himself, he finally managed to unwind and take off running.

Jack followed him up the road, trailing close behind.

He would have no doubt caught Marco if the car full of teens hadn't continued along side of them, almost yanking him into the car and speeding away.

"Damn." Carly mouthed, still standing next to the abandoned Chevy.

Viciously kicking up the dirt with his shoe, Jack suddenly didn't know whether he should feel angry with Marco, Gerard Lowe, or himself.

_At the house..._

She watched as he came plunging forward, and knew she had to be quick in thought.

When your so frozen that you can't move, and so afraid you can barely speak, all one can do is think, and think hard.

At that she nearly dove behind the table so she could face him directly from the other side.

"Wait!" Sage exclaimed, just staring for a second to study his expression. She could tell he was still angry.

This obviously was not a rational person.

And that's when it occurred to her.. Seeing that he got upset so fast, perhaps she could change his mood just as easily.

"I'm sorry.. That I upset you. I'm just.. I'm scared. And I miss my family, and I was wondering what this is all about, but you don't have to tie me up! I won't even say anything if you don't want me to. Honest!"

He seemed a bit relieved, or something. It was hard to tell because he just sort of continued to stare. But he did seem mellow, which could have been good.

But then he looked deep in thought, which was unpredictable.

"Who did you call?" he asked aggressively.

Glancing at the phone, then back up at him, she was frightened and shocked that he said that. But then she deleted the call entry, so he would never know. How could he have known?

"I didn't call anyone. Honest."

He was in disbelief, running to the counter to examine the phone. First, making sure that it was in the exact position that it had been prior. Which it had been, Sage made sure of it.

Next, he checked the call log, which showed no signs of Sage calling anyone. Taking note, he then looked back at a fearful Sage.

"Don't be scared, Carly." he stated.

He thought she was her mother? Why would he think that?

"I'm not Carly.." was all she brought herself to say.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"I'm not Carly.." she repeated. "That's my mom."

Then nodding, as if he had made some sudden break through, he dropped the rope and duct tape beside him.

"Oh, right. Your little Carly.." he said, smiling and staring off as if in some creepy, distant dream. "And I'm going to be your new Dad."

"What?" she asked as she backed up, pausing in confusion. "But I already have a dad, and his name's Jack Snyder. He's a detective and he's going to be really mad that your doing this!"

"That was before.. Now I'm going to be your dad."

"No, your not! Why do you want me anyways? I want to go home!"

"This is your home now. And I'm your new dad. It's the only way."

"The only way for what? No, I told you! Jack Snyder's my dad and-"

"Shh!" he called, cutting her off.

Both turned to the door, noticing the creaking of footsteps on the patio outside. Someone was there.

And before Sage made even the slightest move, he had swept the rope and duct tape back into his palms.

"Don't make a sound." he warned.


	12. Chapter 12

CarJack: Getting There - Ch.12

"Why, God? Why?" was what it looked like Jack had asked mentally as he looked above; next, angrily lifting a rock from the ground and violently tossing it to the far end of the road.

That car may have sped away at warp speed, but in his mind the event played over and over in slow motion.

It was like it was happening all over again..

Carly was taken to Hong Kong all those years ago, and he hadn't fought to find her. That was something that a part of him would always regret.

Now he may have lost all the connections to his daughter, leaving her with a psychopath who was capable of just about anything.

The way Jack seen it, he had failed his family in a single instant.

"Jack," he heard from behind as his wife's footsteps got closer. She placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically, then allowed her arms to instinctively wrap around his waist.

He, in return coiled his arm around her in a single glide. The other arm left to hang for a moment, then making its way to his forehead.

It was more than clear that his mind was working overtime.

Carly could see that he was flipping through thoughts like the pages of a magazine. Of course she was more than upset about her daughter's abduction. The thought of anything happening to her was much more than either of them could take.

But this, what she saw, it was something more than that. It was something beyond the obvious fearfulness and determination to find their daughter.

He was hiding something… But what?

"Honey," she began, lightly pulling at his chin to attract his attention, and to force him to meet her gaze. "We can still go to Craig like Sage said. You've got Margo on the case, and you know everyone will have their eyes out. You're the best detective on the force.. We're bound to find her, and now we know that she's okay. So Jack.. Why do you have that look in your eyes?"

"What look?" he shot, stunned, but still displaying a look of clear un-satisfaction that had proven exactly what his wife had just accused him of.

"Alright Jack, what aren't you telling me?"

He couldn't dodge the question anymore, and yet he couldn't bring himself to answer. Once again, standing still and silent, he had to prepare himself for doing something he never wanted to do; To scare his wife out of her mind.

"I can handle it, Jack. Just tell me what's going on." she said bluntly.

At that he looked down to his pocket where he could feel his phone vibrating.

"Its Margo." he began, a bit relieved. "Margo, what's up?"

"Oh Jack.. Your not going to like this."

"What?"

"It's about Craig.. Apparently Sage went to see him the morning of her abduction, around 5 am."

"Wait she went to.. Well actually, that kind of makes sense. She managed to call me and-"

"Sage called you..? What did she say? Do you know where she is?"

"I didn't talk to her longer than a minute, and all she really told me was to talk to Craig..? How is Craig involved?"

Carly moved closer to Jack to hear what was being said about their daughter.

"Well that's the part your not going to like.. Dallas showed you that file, right?"

Looking down at Carly, fearing that it would somehow come out, he bit his lip then nodded.

"Yeah.. Yeah I seen it."

"Well it looks like Craig's known about him quite some time.. I don't know why he just said something now. Or why he didn't find it important to tell you and Carly about Winston's son. Especially knowing that he has such serious psychological problems."

Jack's eyes widened as Carly backed away, wearing a look of both hurt and fear.

As she was upset with her husband for keeping such an important piece of information from her, she looked as if she could break down and cry at the drop of a hat at what she had just heard.

It was bad enough to hear that the man who held her prisoner for so long had a messed up son who was lurking around. But from the sounds of it, her daughter was now being held prisoner by him!

"Hey Margo.. I gotta go." Jack stated.

"Alright Jack, but I don't want you out all night trying to solve this whole thing. Get some rest, and I'll call you when I hear something. Okay?"

"I'll try.. Thanks Margo." he said, clipping his phone shut then looking to his wife unable to even compose the right words to say.

He knew where he would start.

"Baby.. I'm so sorry."

_Meanwhile, At the house.._

How gullible, Sage thought to herself.

First, Gerard had left his cell phone lying there in the open for her to see. Next, he had actually believed she would willingly stay put, and give up on getting home.

Luckily for her, much like her mom, she could talk her way out of almost anything. And her plea that if she would be aloud to stay in the back bedroom, hushed, she would start to accept this as her new home, seemed to work like a charm.

Unluckily, however, the person at the door was not her one of her parents, a cop, or anyone with the slightest clue who she was..

Now, what to do..? How could she get the message across that she needed help, without letting the man know she had defied his orders and broken his precious 'trust'?

She could hear only bits and pieces of their conversation she had heard from beside the door, but finally realized that he was asking for money.

"Its not due until next week, why should I pay now?" he responded coldly.

"Sir, you never paid last months rent.. If you don't pay up now, your out."

Apparently Gerard didn't own this house, which meant that he may intend to move somewhere else, somewhere even farther from her home..

And Sage wasn't going to get her hopes up now, because she knew what could happen next.

If she were to come out screaming for help, Gerard would just do something to the guy then take off. He'd be nothing but collateral damage.

Making the rounds of the room with her eyes, she needed something that would help her without attracting Gerard's attention.

Finding a notepad and marker, she quickly snatched it and marked the words HELP ME.

Creeping into the hallway on her hands and knees, she was quiet as a mouse and nearly stagnant.

Gerard's back was now turned toward the direction of the doorway, and he seemed oblivious to her presence, giving her an open opportunity to make herself known.

And so, slowly raising the note pad and pleading with her sorrowful eyes, she allowed them to lock with the young man's for a moment.

He did not make a spectacle though, which was good. And he did recognize that something was wrong.. Of course when your talking to someone like Gerard, its obvious that something's off just by taking a good look.

But he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, anyways.

And now nearing the end of the discussion, Gerard ran to a drawer to pull out a little wad of cash for the young man. And seeing an opportunity, Sage entered a big PLEASE before her words and held it up high.

The man nodded in her direction, meeting her eyes again.

It was such a simple gesture, yet it was so assuring. There was a certain sincerity about that look that made her trust him.

She somehow just knew that his silent promise of help was one he would not break. And now, accomplishing what she had set out to, she quickly scurried back to the bedroom at the end of the hall.

"That's all your getting." Gerard said as he handed him only the previous month's rent and showed him the door.

Sage desperately hoped that her instincts were correct. She desperately hoped that this man really was going to help her get home.

She knew that if he did contact the police, it wouldn't be long before it got back to her dad.

So the way she figured, as long as Gerard didn't try to leave the house any time soon, she was practically saved already.


	13. Chapter 13

CarJack: Getting There - Ch.13

It had been a restless night for Jack Snyder, as he had expected it would be. And given that, he paced into java for just about anything to keep him going.

"I'll have a regular coffee, two shots of espresso." he stated as he pulled out his wallet, then overhearing the mention of the name 'Lowe', he turned to see two guys talking by the door.

He didn't immediately approach, because he could hear very clearly from where he stood.

"Man, its so messed up.. I don't even know who to tell."

"Well he sounds pretty crazy, but its not like he's hurt anyone yet, right?"

"I seen him with some girl.. And when your _that_ crazy, who knows what you'll do."

A nod between the guys marked an end to the conversation, which is when Jack came forward.

"I couldn't help but overhear." he began, then lifting his badge and allowing them to observe. "I'm a detective with the OPD, and I think that guy you were talking about has my daughter. I need you to tell me anything else you know, any of his whereabouts. Anything will help."

After a slight pause, one of them responded.

"I know where he is."

_At the house..._

He left her in that same room for the night, locking the door behind him to ensure she didn't try to escape or to take his phone, as he still had his suspicions she did.

More simply put, he wanted to keep her out of the way. He wanted no complications or even the slightest irritations.

How comforting, she thought to herself.

But honestly, she was glad that she wouldn't have to face him again that night. It had barely been a day and she had already had quite enough of 'Gerard Lowe'.

One thing was for sure, she hadn't slept a wink that night..

She reached for the notepad and pen she had found earlier, and decided to write down some of her thoughts, and use it as sort of a temporary journal…

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm not sure where I actually am or why I was brought here, but one thing I do know is that I'm scared out of mind. I may be small, and I may be young. And I am definitely not a doctor, but something tells me Winston's son just isn't right upstairs!_

_I wasn't as scared before, really I haven't been scared up until now. Because I have had faith that my parents will find me and bring me home. They brought JJ home when he was kidnapped, they helped Parker when he was in trouble, and they've never failed me before._

_I know that they wouldn't… but this is the scary part:_

_Earlier I heard Gerard talking on the phone.. I have no idea who he was talking to, but he sounded really serious. Like he was planning something.. Making some sort of arrangements._

_And as I listened more closely, sticking my ear up against the door, I clearly heard him say the words, "Don't worry about Snyder.. He won't be in the way much longer."_

_He said he had 'seen to it himself'._

_Daddy would do anything to protect me. And Gerard, or whoever it was he was talking to, is trying to take advantage of that._

_Dad's really smart, but I hope he doesn't fall for some sort of trap.. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him or mom. That would be far worse than anything that could ever happen to me here._

_-Sage Snyder_

_*Milltown..._

Waking up alone hadn't been much of a surprise to Carly, but it really did strike a nerve. Of course Jack would be out trying to find their daughter and make Winston's son pay for taking her.. That was Jack, always a g man..

But she wished he wouldn't try handling this all alone. This was _their _daughter, not just Jack's.

Not to mention that if Carly were to come along, she would keep an eye on Jack. She would keep him from jumping into something thoughtlessly. The last thing she needed now was something happening to him. There had been too many close calls in their family already, and too many times that she had thought she'd lost him.

She could never let that happen again, ever.

"Hey Jack, its me again.. Call me when you get this. I'm worried about you.. I love you." she said, closing her phone then slowly exhaling, sitting down and dropping her elbows onto her knees.

Carly desperately hoped that she was wrong. But she was getting that feeling again; the same kind of feeling she had every time she knew Jack needed her. The way she could sense when he was in some sort of danger.

She could have been wrong now, but she definitely was not going to take that chance.

Grabbing her phone and her keys, and tossing them into her purse, she strutted out the door ready to face whatever was ahead.

_Meanwhile.._

"Police!" Jack called before kicking down the door and stepping into the abandoned building, holding his gun in front of him and examining his dark, eerie surroundings.

Creeping to the edge of the wall, he suspected that Gerard would try to sneak up on him. But he was too smart for that, one step ahead of him.

Cautiously but thoroughly checking each room from wall to wall, he still saw nothing of any meaning to him until.. To his horror, his jaw dropped and his spine was sent a sudden chill..

"Oh God.." he mouthed.


	14. Chapter 14

CarJack: Getting There- Ch.14

"Margo," she called upon entering the station. "Where is Jack?"

Partially studying a light stack of files and listening to Carly, it took a moment for her to look over. Her eyes slightly narrowed.

"He's following a lead. Did you want me to give him a message when I see him or-"

"I want to know where my husband is." she shot.

Dropping the stack at her side and pushing up her glasses, she responded. "Oh, Carly.. I really don't think Jack would want you following him out there."

"I don't care, I need to see my husband. Where is he, Margo?"

"Carly, I don't think that's a good-"

"Lieutenant," Detective Howler said as he approached. "Dallas called from Harvey's lot.. Says Jack could use more back up."

"Harvey's lot.. I know where that is. Right off of 22nd street.." Carly spoke to herself, then nodded her head and turned to sprint out the door.

"Carly!" Margo called, but it was hopeless. There was no convincing Carly not to go when her mind was already beyond made up.

_Harvey's Lot..._

"Jack.. Do you want me to look?" Dallas asked as he stepped into the room.

"No.. I.. I have to do this." was all Jack brought himself to say as he abruptly lifted the thin sheet of tarp from the ground, finding the body of a young girl with dark blonde hair.

He looked at her.. really looked at her, then stopped to let out a huge gasp of relief.

"Its not Sage." he said, looking over to Dallas, more thankful than he had been in a long, long time. "Its not her."

Dallas nodded, also relieved for his friend, then looked to the door.

"I think I heard something. Its probably the back up Margo sent. I'll let them know what's going on."

Before Jack stood up, he couldn't help but notice a little note next to the tarp.

"You won't always get so lucky." he read aloud, angered and irritated that someone was finding this so damn funny.

Still frustrated, he turned. And at that he saw his wife standing beside him.

"Carly, I can not believe you. Showing up here like this!" he exclaimed.

"I was just worried, Jack. I don't want you putting yourself in danger."

"Come on, Carly! You honestly believe I'd walk into anything without giving it a second thought? That I'm that naïve?"

"Jack… You know I don't think that. I just.. I don't know what I thought." she began, then tilting her head and coming to realization. "You know what, Jack. I didn't think. I didn't think at all. Are you satisfied?.. But something was off, and I felt it. I thought that you might need me.. And that's why I came, Jack. Not to prove anything to anyone. Not even you, Jack."

"Honestly Carly, for once in your life, can't you just stay out of it?" he shot.

She turned away, insulted and set to leave, when he tightly grabbed her arm and tugged her hand to pull her back.

"Carly, wait." he called, feeling bad as he could now see that he had allowed himself to take out his aggravations on his wife. His well-intending wife whom hadn't changed a bit in all the years he'd known and loved her.

She rarely thought things through, and often made mistakes in doing so. But that was also one of the things he loved about her. The way she would jump into just about anything, especially where her family was concerned.

"Oh, thanks. That's real nice, Jack! Now your laughing.. its good to know your finding this so funny." she chewed, referring to his quickly emerging smile.

Throwing an arm around her to calm the waters, he couldn't lie.

"Your so cute when you get worked up like this," he began, as he observed the now even more so threatening look on Carly's face, then dipping down to push his forehead onto hers and make direct eye contact. "But I'm not laughing at you, honey. I'm smiling.. Because you make me happy, beautiful."

Carly's eyes lit up, and she just couldn't resist her husband's sweet words or loving expression. She leaned in to give her husband one long kiss.

And as she pulled back, Jack licked his lips and once again spoke.

"Oh, and Carly?"

"Yeah, Jack."

"You said you thought I _might _need you. Is that right?"

"Well.. I thought-"

"You thought wrong."

She paused, stunned.

"Excuse me?"

"I _always _need you, Carly. I always have and always will.. But I worry about you too, you know."

Carly crinkled her nose and stuck one hand on her hip. "I know.. But you don't have anything to be worried about.. Lets just worry about finding our daughter, okay?"

He agreed, then taking her and hand as they exited the dark, musty building together.

Carly and Jack may have been two completely different people, but one thing they could undoubtedly agree on was that they would stop at nothing to find their daughter. They'd go through hell and back if that's what it would take. They were going to find her. They were going to find her together.


	15. Chapter 15

Getting There: Ch.15

~CarJack4ever

The words 'Get up, we're leaving' rang in her ears, but rather screamed 'Think fast, or its over' as she heard it.

Now was the time to act, now was her chance. She had to do something..

As he crept down the hall, she couldn't help but react. Her blood ran cold and her heart skipped a few beats. She knew now what he was really doing, and what he had been planning all along...

"Come on." he said.

She stood up, facing him, and innocently folding both hands behind her back. And in that moment, froze, completely still and yet calm. One would not expect such an innocent face to try anything, and Gerard certainly hadn't.

"I don't want to go." she said bluntly, but sweetly.

"You have to.. Besides, I'm sure your going to like it where we're going."

"So you won't give up, will you?" she asked, then continuing. "You won't just let me go?"

Her question left him stumbling for a few seconds. He rubbed his chin, and smiled, creating a villain-like glow to his presence.

"Is that what you _really_ want?" he started, still smiling, almost seeming to let out a silent chuckle, and inching his way closer to Sage. "Is it?"

She studied him, and tightened her lips, still gripping her hands tightly, gathering all that energy and fear together, then just letting it all go.

She looked him up and down, then moved her eyes back into place, allowing them to lock right into his. And in his eyes was something so dark and untrue. He was someone who clearly had no sympathy for anyone but himself, ever.

"I'll let you go, Carly. If that's what you really want."

Raising her eyebrows and forming a slight smirk of her own, she was all too wise too him.

"Your lying." she spoke, surely and sincerely. "And I know your going to make me go with you.. I have no choice, right? ...Just give me a minute."

He nodded, as he could see it looked as if she was very upset. And he walked off, mouthing that he would give her only a few minutes, and then they would set out.

_Meanwhile..._

"I told you! Its the little house on Dayton Drive, and I know this girl is being held against her will. The guy's a total mental case! You have to do something!" the young man called at the heart of the police station.

"Wait a second.. You just said you seen her sitting in the hallway. I don't see proof of any crime being committed."

"She wrote 'Help Me' so I could see it, what more proof do you need?"

"If she's being held hostage, then why was she out in the opened like that?"

"She wasn't! She was hiding! Are you going to do something or not?"

Rolling her eyes, and looking down, she reached for the phone, obviously feeling that this situation lacked any importance whatsoever.

It was sickening.

"And you call yourself a detective?" he said, irritably, as he turned from the desk and prepared to walk out.

"Hey, wait!" someone yelled, as his hand lightly struck the door handle. Then turning back, the man continued. "Your not talking about Gerard Lowe, are you?"

"Yeah.. That's his name, Gerard."

"That's Synder's daughter.." the officer began as he looked off to his side.

"Wait, you know who she is? And I was right, she was kidnapped?"

Nodding in the young man's direction, then once again returning his view to the section of the room where two officers sat in discussion.

"Hey, Murphy!" he called, getting the attention of one of the men. "This guy knows where Synder's daughter is."

The Chicago Department was in awe, as the young man was in shock, and the detective who snubbed him was embarrassed, and slightly resentful.

_Shortly after…_

"Sage..? Sage, are you here? Sage!" Jack called as he entered.

"Sage! Its mom and dad, honey.. Sage?" Carly shouted, echoing her husband's calls to their daughter.

They ran through every door to every room, every closet, every place that was possible for Sage to be if she were there. Then, upon entering the last place they had to look, the empty basement, there he sat.

Hunched over near a corner, breathing heavily and covering his face. He kept repeating one word out loud, over and over again. No, no, no.

"What the hell did you do to my daughter?" Jack yelled, ripping at Gerard's shirt and bringing him to his feet. "Where is she?" he yelled again, with such power and aggression that there were no other options but to answer honestly.

Gerard looked as if he could cry when he lifted his bulky arm and pointed to an opened window next to the crawl space that led out into the yard.

"Jack… she got away?" Carly began, one hand on her husbands chest, and the other raised near the direction at which Gerard's was pointed.

"That's our girl." he said, smiling, then turning to the creep who held her captive for so long.

It sure struck Carly's nerve, to see the spittin image of Winston Lowe. He looked exactly like him..

"You better not have hurt my daughter, you creep!" Carly piped, looking more than ready to start pouncing on him herself.

"Its okay, hun. She couldn't have gotten far." Jack said comfortingly, seeing how disturbed his wife was just by the look of the man. "And you," he spoke to Gerard, stepping in closer. "I swear, your going to pay for this to the full extent of the law. And if you _have _hurt my daughter, in any way.. You don't even want to know what's coming to you."

"You've got that right." said Margo as she entered. "Jack, Carly, You guys go out and look for Sage. I'll take it from here."

They nodded, and at that exited to begin their neighborhood search.

_A while later, in the OPD interrogation room.._

"Gerard, you've disappointed me, you know that?" a voice screeched into the ear of the telephone.

"I'm sorry! I wanted to help you, please don't make me go back there!" he pleaded.

"You let the child go! You've ruined everything I had planned!"

"I know. I'm sorry, but I can still help you! I can!"

"I'll think about it." she snipped, and before hanging up added one more remark. "And you better not mention anything about me, got that? .. I'd like to surprise Jack and Carly myself one of these days."

Before he could respond to her comment, an officer swung opened the door and mouthed the words 'times up'. And he was led into his temporary cell at the Oakdale Police Department.


	16. Chapter 16

Getting There: Ch.16

Out of breathe and nearly limping, Sage was still going. There hadn't been enough time to applaud herself for the fast getaway, nor her ability to talk her way out of the impromptu leave. She had to keep herself moving, there was no time to sit around and wait for the next car to come along. For all she knew, Gerard was out there looking for her at that very moment.

The plan now was to get into town and find a place with a phone to get a hold of her parents.

Running, once again, she felt that it was all she had been doing lately. But it sure did feel good to be far away from that lunatic..

What did not feel good, however, was knowing all that she now knew. Hearing all the things that she had heard over the course of the past week. It had been far too much for her.

Getting away, right now, seemed to be all that mattered. But at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that her family was still in danger. What if Gerard were to get away, and try to come after her and her family?

He talked about his 'friend' a lot. This meant Gerard wasn't working alone, so now she also had this mysterious being to worry about.

Hadn't her family suffered through enough already? First was her mother all those years ago, and now it was her. She couldn't handle all this, but she sure couldn't show it. Not now, she just had to hold her head up and stay strong.

It was hard to push all the thoughts and worries out of her mind, but as she continued to run, finally all those thoughts came to a head.

She looked directly in front of her, and there she saw just what she had been hoping and waiting for; A parking lot full of cars, outside an opened restaurant. A homey looking place it was, they would surely do her the good deed of letting her contact her parents.

Smiling and swinging through the door, she caught her breathe and looked around. The next thing she knew, she was being greeted by a middle-aged woman in a chipper mood.

"Hi, welcome to Family Dining. Can I get you anything to start w-"

"Well, actually. Do you think I could use your phone? Please.. Its very important."

She nodded, seeing the expression on her face and the seriousness of the matter, and led her to a landline phone next to the cashier's table.

She waited as the phone rang twice, feeling exhilarated and more relieved than ever that she would finally hear her parents' voice, and tell them that she was safe and everything was alright.

"Snyder." her dad answered immediately.

"Dad, its me! I got away!" she nearly shouted into the phone, but seeing the laid back area around her, she managed to hush the tone of her voice as much as possible. Although truly, she was screaming inside just to hear his voice.

"Sage, baby, where are you?"

Before she piped the quick and simple answer, she couldn't help but notice that the door to the restaurant swung itself opened again, just where she had come in.

Sage was grinning from ear to ear, and replied. "Look behind you."

There was a pause, and she clipped the phone down to the table, just standing there and smiling straight ahead.

"Sage!" Carly yelled, running to her daughter and pulling her into her arms tightly.

Jack followed her lead, strutting forward and throwing his arms around the both of them.

"Baby, we were so worried." he began, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head.

"Are you okay, honey? Did he hurt you?" Carly asked.

Sage looked down and shook her head 'no'.

"I'm okay, I was just so scared. But I knew you guys would find me."

Jack and Carly glanced at each other lovingly, before responding in unison, "Always."

"We're so proud of you, Sage. You know that?" Jack said.

"Yeah we are.. You've been so incredibly brave, honey."

It was silent for a moment, as Sage was still drawn closely to her parents arms.

"Sage.. Are you sure your alright?" Carly spoke with concern, pulling back gently and holding her daughter's chin up to view her face.

Sage was nervous and fearful, and it was more than obvious. In seeing her delayed, unsure reaction, her father reached for her hands and grasped them tightly.

"What's wrong, babe? You can tell us."

Shaking her head and now avoiding eye contact, once again, she decided to simply brush it off.

"I'm fine." she answered quickly, taking in a little sniffle and controlling her out of whack emotions.

"Sage, something's wrong. We're your parents, we can tell." Carly replied.

"I'll be fine.. really. I just missed you guys. I love you so much."

Jack and Carly looked at each other, both sensing that something was up. And yet, neither of them pushed the issue, hoping she would open up on her own soon enough.

"Oh, we love you too." Jack said, reaching down to hug her again.

"More than anything." Carly said, finishing his sentence and joining them.

"Can we go home now?" Sage asked impatiently.

Shooting each other glances once again, Jack and Carly both lightly chuckled at their daughter's usual anxiousness.

"Yeah, sweetie. Home sounds great." Carly said.

"Lets go home." Jack agreed, nodding in her direction.

_The Farm..._

"And where are you two off to?" Emma asked from behind the counter, where she was cooking up a storm in preparation for dinner, then inched her way closer to coo at the baby.

"Well," Parker started, handing his brother off to his Aunt. "My parents just called. And they've found Sage! They're on their way home."

"Parker, that's great news!" she exclaimed, reaching in to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, and I thought I would bring Brad over and surprise them.. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I think that's an excellent idea. As long as your sister is up to it."

"Well it sounds like she's-"

"Did I hear something about Sage?" a voice called from behind.

Out came Faith, Natalie, and Holden from the other room, curious as they all had been over whether Sage had been found.

"Did they find her?" Faith asked, placing a hand on Parker's back and broadening her eyes.

He was reluctant to answer, because he still wasn't sure if his sister was ready for a welcoming party just yet. But he simply couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Yeah.. Yeah, they found her." he said, smiling and letting out a gasp of air. "She's coming home now, I'm going over there with Brad and-"

"Can I come?" Natalie asked.

"Well if its okay with Jack and Carly, why don't we all go?" Holden asked, nodding in Emma's direction.

They all agreed, and out they went to create their own homecoming party for Sage.


End file.
